Help available for preschool kids

Did you know help is available for preschool children with delays? As a speech-language pathologist working with preschool children, I am concerned that many people in the community don't realize that special education services are available for this population. Preschool children who have a delay in their development can receive services through their local school district.

Federal law mandates that once a child turns three, the local school district must provide, at no cost to the parent (as it does for school-age children), educational services if the child has a significant delay or disorder in any of several areas of development. These might include children with speech and language impairments, hearing loss, vision impairment, autism, developmental delays, orthopedic impairments, traumatic brain injury, emotional disturbances, cognitive disorders, health impairments, etc.

To receive services, the child must demonstrate an educational need that requires specially designed instruction. Such instruction might include a preschool placement with intervention specialists, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or other services. Such a determination is made by an educational team composed of the parents and evaluators from the school following an evaluation provided, at no cost to the parents, by the school district.

Additional information can be obtained by calling the child's local school district or Flying Colors Public School Preschool (740-349-1629). It is very exciting and rewarding to be able to help preschool children improve their skills before they head off to kindergarten. It is my sincere hope that any child who might have a delay will be checked so they can receive services to help them meet their potential.

Joy Munson

Newark

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Help available for preschool kids

Did you know help is available for preschool children with delays? As a speech-language pathologist working with preschool children, I am concerned that many people in the community don't realize